Two of the three female officers attending U.S. Army Ranger School have advanced into the final phase of the all-male infantry course, Fort Benning, Ga., officials announced Friday.

The two females and 125 men successfully completed the 18-day Mountain Phase of the course and will begin the third and final, Swamp Phase of Ranger School, located at Camp Rudder in Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., on Aug. 2. [click to continue…]

Propper International, manufacturer of the USMC-issued ILBE (Improved Load Bearing Equipment) ruck, has released their new UC (User Configurable) Pack.

In fact Propper says the UC Pack is inspired by that Marine ruck. It measures 20” high x 13” wide x 6.5” deep with 4 built in compartments; one on top for small items, a segregated compartment with drainage ports and cinch straps at the bottom and two internal zippered pouches that run the full height/width of the bag (one in the front and one in the back).

The pack opens almost completely clamshell-fashion (the zippers end immediately above the separated bottom compartment) for access. The front pocket has a padded insert; the back a frame sheath for support and structure. Shoulder straps are padded and are equipped with adjustable waist and chest straps, and there are pass-through ports on top for cables, hydration tubes, etc.

The interior is lined with soft-touch loop for hook and loop accessories and virtually the entire exterior of the pack is equipped with MOLLE/PALS loops for modularity. Propper addresses this modularity with a large series of storage accessories; pouches, pockets and assorted other organizers that will hold everything from weapon magazines to admin gear.

In three years, the Army hopes to start fielding the Family of Weapon Sights-Individual, a new lightweight thermal weapon sight that is designed to communicate wirelessly with the service’s latest Enhanced Night Vision Goggle (ENVG).

Linking these two technologies creates a new capability called Rapid Target Acquisition, according to Lt. Col. Timothy Fuller, product manager for Soldier Maneuver Sensors at Fort Belvoir, Va.

The FWS-I mounts on the M4 carbine or the M249 squad automatic weapon. At the push of a button, a soldier can wirelessly transmit the FWS-I’s sight reticle into the wide display screen of the helmet-mounted ENVG III and quickly fire at the enemy target, Army officials said.

The sergeant major of the Army would like to make the “Ike jacket” part of the service’s dress uniform.

Sergeant Major of the Army Daniel A. Dailey “has suggested an optional ‘Eisenhower jacket’ to be added as a more appropriate indoor alternative to the black windbreaker jacket,” according to a recent Army press release.

Named after Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the short-waisted, slim-fitting jacket was standard issue in 1944.

The Army adopted the blue Army Service Uniform, or ASU, to replace the green Class A dress uniform in 2006. Adapted from the formal Dress Blues, the dark blue jacket and light blue pants have been a part of Army history since the Revolutionary War. [click to continue…]

An Army investigation into the death of Sgt. Shaina Schmigel found that a jumpmaster did not properly inspect the paratrooper’s line before the jump that killed her last year, according to an Army Times report.

Army Times reporter Kyle Jahner obtained the investigation through a Freedom of Information Act. The investigators said the failure to check the line was the “single most definitive failure,” according to the report.

Schmigel died from lacerations to the throat and a broken neck after she became entangled in another paratrooper’s parachute. Investigators wrote in their report about the final moments before Schmigel left the aircraft: [click to continue…]

The U.S. Army on Friday released photos of the current crop of Ranger School students climbing their way through the mountains of Dahlonega, Georgia.

Noteworthy, of course, is the fact that three women have advanced to the 20-day mountain phase of the grueling infantry training course, which historically has only been open to men. [click to continue…]